In Europe, his name is synonymous with acting school, he was crowned cannes film emperor with "The Hunt", and the recent work "Alcohol Project" also brought him the honor of the European Film Award for Best Actor.
He's "Uncle Mai," Max Mickelson.
In the United States on the other side of the Atlantic, he also has a market. Known as "Denmark's most handsome man", he is elegant and at the same time has a sense of quiet danger, and the "villain" traits in 007: The Royal Casino, Doctor Strange and Hannibal have made him the standard in Hollywood movies.
007: Casino Royale
Doctor Strange
Hannibal
Europe and Hollywood are like the poles of light and darkness in his art world.
A corner change event in late 2020 once again brought Max Mickelson into the public spotlight.
In November, under pressure from Warner Bros. Pictures, the lawsuit-ridden Johnny Depp announced his resignation from his third "Fantastic Beasts" film, and Max Mickelson was soon named a new candidate for the role of Dark Wizard Grindelwald.
In early December, he spoke up for the first time, saying it was a "shocking moment" when he learned that he was about to succeed Johnny Depp as Grindelwald.
When asked how his new interpretation of the evil character would differ from Depp's, Mickelson playfully said, "The biggest difference is that this time I'm here to play." Then he returned to the book: "We are still discussing... Depp was highly accomplished with the role, and what I had to do was find a bridge that would preserve my style while trying not to be so abrupt. ”
Having been in the industry for too long, Max Mickelson knows all too well what to say and what not to say. In May 2019, he starred in "The Arctic" released in the United Kingdom, and since the film was filmed in the Arctic, it is inevitable that climate warming is a "political topic" that cannot be avoided.
In the pre-screening publicity session, whenever the reporter threw this topic to him, he was very cautious. First, he would stress that this is not a "political film", and second, he would have reservations about the climate change movement. Interviewing Mikkelson, you can clearly feel a certain tension on the spot, that is, a tension that wants to express it frankly and is afraid of causing controversy.
north pole
In addition to climate change, he is also walking on thin ice and is reluctant to talk about the #MeToo movement in the Danish film industry.
There's a reason for Mikkelson's caution, in his words: "Even if you say the wrong word, you're socially dead." In the view of this Danish actor, no matter how "politically correct", he may be "sentenced to death". "It's a very unhealthy atmosphere for discussion." Mikkelson once said so.
Occasionally, he would "let loose" and bury his peers. "Frankly, I think 'Dogma 95' is a bit silly," Mikkelson said, "and sit down and write ten manifestos about how to make a movie?" 'Stories matter', that's important. But is it necessary to write it down? Doesn't it matter if you don't write it down? Those things are common sense to me. ”
"But I'm ambivalent about it," he added, this time a bit like diplomatic rhetoric, "and we should be grateful for that film movement." After all, it is it that makes Danish films famous. ”
Mickelson qualifies to say anything about the Dougma 95. He came to prominence in the early years of the Dogmar 95 – in 1996, he appeared in the Danish crime thriller The End of the Road, and since then he has become a symbol of Nordic cinema, as a representative of danish actors, as a representative of Danish actors, as well-known as Russ von Trier in the directing world.
The "Strange Road Run" series is his early masterpiece
He has worked with many well-known Danish directors – Nicholas Winding Rayvern (The End of the Road, The Temple of the Rising Sun), Suzanne Bill ("Love Outside the Window", After the Wedding), Annos Thomas Jensen (Adam's Apple, The Man and the Chicken), and one of the leading figures of Dougmar 95, Thomas Winterberg (The Hunt, The Alcohol Project).
Later, he accepted an invitation from Hollywood and played many "bad guys" - Le Seaver in "007: Casino Royale", Casillas in the Marvel movie "Doctor Strange", Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the American drama "Hannibal"... These roles propelled him to the world.
If you had the chance to meet Max Mickelson, it would be difficult to relate the rugged-looking actor with the cruel characters. That's why, some people think, it's probably hard to convince someone else to play Hannibal and wear a comfortable knitted pullover when he's dying.
As long as he is a villain, hollywood executives will take him into account, but once you have contacted him, you will wonder what they really like him — Mikkelson privately speculates, perhaps because he has a Nordic rough feeling.
"The British took advantage of accents, they've played villains for too long, and now it's my turn as a Scandinavian accent." He'll smile and tell you, "I don't mind at all. I can play the villain in Hollywood all the time, at least better than not giving you nothing. ”
Uncle Mai in the hit game Death Stranding
In fact, in Danish movies, he also played the "bad guy". In 2012, in Thomas Winterberg's The Hunt, he played Lucas, a kindergarten teacher with the notoriety of "sexually assaulting girls." This is a character with a deep sense of humanity and a victim of the "witch hunt" movement.
After becoming an untouchable "pariah", Lucas walked into the church, desperate and full of grievances, he walked to his friend and roared: "Look into my eyes, what do you see?" In that instant, Mickelson and Lucas became one, and he also won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival for "The Hunt."
Starting in 2019, two films related to the "polar" came out, and Mikkelsen's "villain" career seems to have taken a turn, and he finally went from the dark to the light.
First in "The Arctic", Mickelson played a pilot trapped in the Arctic, and then in "Extreme Killer", played a retiring killer (the character is still violent, fortunately not a pure villain).
Overall, "Arctic" has a better reputation, not only that, but the filming of this film also tests him more. In Mickelson's eyes, the pilot, who had been alone for a long time, lived every day only to survive, no different from the walking dead, "there was no light in his eyes, and there was no hope." "It wasn't until the search and rescue helicopter crashed and a young co-pilot broke into his life — that his humanity slowly recovered.
The 2020 "Alcohol Project" has a special meaning for Max Mickelson, and it is not so much a movie as a cultural search.
The story revolves around the experiment of four middle school teachers: In a state of daily slight drunkenness, will a person's quality of life improve? Unfortunately, the progress of the experiment was not as simple as they thought. However, this is clearly not a moral preaching film that criticizes "drinking mistakes", and its attitude towards alcohol is neutral.
Mickelson took on The Alcohol Project primarily because of director Thomas Winterberg, who collaborated on The Hunt eight years ago. "It was one of the best work experiences of my acting career, the others were great, we've always been friends. Another reason is that the script is brilliantly written, telling the story of middle-aged people embracing life. Mikkelson said.
This time he played different levels of drunkenness, and anyone who has seen this movie will have a question in their minds: Is there really a small wine field on the set in order to enter the play? His answer was that he hadn't drunk it.
The iron rule of "not drinking" was set at an early stage of preparation. "Because you're drunk, you can't communicate with other actors. Moreover, shooting 16 hours a day, the actors are half drunk and half awake, which is not very practical. What's more, after filming the drunken scene, we were about to shoot the scene of driving home. He said this later.
On the contrary, for different alcohol levels, what the posture of talking and walking, the actors did a lot of rehearsals in the early stages. Although Denmark is known for its drinking culture, the actors do not lack experience in drinking, but to be precise, there is no doubt that extra effort is required.
"There was a staff member on set who was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and had been abstinent for seven years. Even out of respect for him, we should perform the state of drinking without drinking. He confessed.
In "The Alcohol Project", Mickelson also has a wonderful dance scene, which is also the highlight of the whole film.
Mikkelson explains: "I used to learn classical dance, but I didn't become a professional dancer. In the musicals I have performed, I have danced a modern dance of the Martha Graham style, and the director at that time did not look at my dance skills, but my gymnastics foundation, which can do the more difficult movements of air tumbling.
"At that time, I didn't think I would become a professional actor, I just wanted to make some pocket money by acting in musicals, I didn't study well, and my diploma was not high, so I entered the industry." The dance scene in "The Alcohol Project" was indeed added later, I don't know if it was specially added for me, but we all felt that it was a good foil for the mood of the characters at that time. ”
Mickelson believes that "The Alcohol Project" is a film that pays homage to alcohol, but at the same time, it also touches on the dark side of this cup of contents. The reason why it is "slightly" is because Thomas Winterberg does not want to fall into the cliché - there are too many films with similar themes, many of which are excellent.
"We just want to remind people that there must be a reason why humans have seven thousand years of drinking: some people use it to reduce stress, some people use it for inspiration, some people use it to embolden — the phone call that you would not dare to make, you dare to call when you drink." 」
Today, Uncle Mai has passed his 55th birthday. When asked how he felt about age, he replied this way —
"When I was 30, I was asked how I felt, and my answer was 'age is just a number'; at 40, I still feel that way; by 50, I was quite proud, at least halfway through my life. At 55 years old, I think it's not just a number, it's a good number.
"The train of life is moving fast, I can't control this speed, all I can do is enjoy every second of this journey."